GB2415666A

GB2415666A - Waste collection and crushing vehicle

Info

Publication number: GB2415666A
Application number: GB0414446A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Michael Bennett; Michael Mcdonough
Original assignee: COOLDERRY PLANT Ltd
Current assignee: COOLDERRY PLANT Ltd
Priority date: 2004-06-29
Filing date: 2004-06-29
Publication date: 2006-01-04
Anticipated expiration: 2024-06-29
Also published as: IE20050428A1; GB2415666B; GB0414446D0

Abstract

A truck 1 comprises a chassis 2 mounted on wheels 4, a driver's seat 6 and steering wheel 8 mounted at one end of the chassis 2 and a crushing device 10 mounted at the opposite end of the chassis 2. The crushing device 10 comprises a loading chute 12 for receiving waste material and passing it to a hopper 20. The hopper 20 comprises a crushing mechanism for crushing the material. The crushed material is passed from the hopper 20 into a collection tank (22 see fig 2) for removal. A conveyor belt may remove the waste from the collection tank (22). The hopper 20 may be at the front of the truck 1 with the driver at the rear.

Description

The present invention relates to a truck and, in particular, to a truck

incorporating a crushing device for crushing waste, such as rubble on a building site.

Known crushing mechanisms generally comprise large machinery which is not easily manoeuvrable to the location of the waste material to be crushed.

Consequently, the waste material generally has to be moved to a suitable location for loading into the crushing apparatus. In addition, large crushing machinery on tracks tend to be slow and awkward to use.

By contrast, smaller known crushing machines tend to be unstable and unwieldy to manoeuvre.

The present invention has been made from a consideration of the disadvantages associated with known crushing machinery and in order to provide an improved crushing apparatus which may overcome one or more of the above-mentioned disadvantages.

According to the invention there is provided a truck comprising a chassis mounted on wheels, a driver's seat and steering wheel mounted at one end of the chassis and a crushing device mounted at the opposite end of the chassis, the crushing device comprising a loading chute for receiving waste material, a hopper for receiving waste material from the loading chute, the hopper comprising a crushing mechanism for crushing material received by the hopper and means for removing the crushed material from the hopper.

Preferably, the crushing device is mounted at the forward end of the chassis. Preferably, the crushing mechanism is operated by an hydraulic motor.

Preferably, the crushing device comprises a collection tank for receiving crushed material from the hopper.

Preferably, the crushing device comprises a conveyor for conveying the collected material out of the collection tank. Preferably, the conveyor comprises a conveyor belt mounted on spaced apart rollers and extends outwardly from the chassis.

Preferably, the loading chute comprises a fixed part and a pivoting part, the pivoting part being movable between a first position in which it overlies the fixed part and a second position wherein it lies distal to the fixed part.

Preferably, the fixed part of the loading chute comprises a generally triangular cross-section, open topped box affixed to the hopper such that the open top of the chute extends substantially horizontally.

Preferably, the pivoting part of the loading chute comprises a generally rectangular box with an open base and a generally triangular crosssection, open topped extension extending outwardly from the front of the box such that the open top of the extension extends substantially horizontally when the pivoting part is in the first position.

Preferably, the pivoting part is attached to the hopper by a pair of pivot arms, each pivot arm being connected at one end to the hopper and at the other end to a side of the pivoting part.

Preferably, the crushing mechanism comprises a crusher rotor with a rotor speed substantially in the range of 800 to 1200 revs per minute.

The invention will now be described further, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a truck of the invention with the loading chute in the open configuration; Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the truck of figure 1 with the loading chute in the closed configuration; and Fig. 3 is an enlarged view of the forward end of the truck of figure 2.

Referring to the drawings, a truck 1 of the invention comprises a main body in the form of a chassis 2 mounted on four wheels 4 with a driver's seat 6 and steering wheel 8 at one end thereof. A crushing device is mounted at the opposite end of the chassis 2, typically at the forward end of the chassis.

The crushing device 10, as seen in detail in figure 3, comprises a loading chute 12 for receiving waste material. The loading chute 12 comprises a fixed part 14 with a pivoting part 16 pivotally connected by a pair of pivot arms 18 relative to the fixed part so as to be movable between a first closed position in which it overlies the fixed part to form an elongate chute and a second open position wherein it lies distal to the fixed part so that the fixed part alone is the effective loading chute.

The loading chute 12 leads into a hopper 20 which contains a crushing mechanism for crushing material fed into the hopper. Typically, the crushing mechanism is operated by suitable hydraulic drive means which may be actuated from the driver's seat position.

Crushed material is passed from the hopper 20 into a collection tank 22 from whence it is conveyed to a deposition site by a conveyor 24. The conveyor 24 comprises a conveyor belt 26 mounted on spaced apart rollers 28 and extends outwardly from the chassis 2, typically substantially at a right angle to the chassis.

The fixed part 14 of the loading chute comprises a generally triangular cross-section, open topped box affixed to the hopper 20 such that the open top of the chute extends substantially horizontally.

The pivoting part 16 of the loading chute comprises a generally rectangular box 15 with an open base adapted to sit on the open top of the fixed part 14 and has a generally triangular cross-section, open topped extension 17 extending outwardly from the front of the box such that the open top of the extension extends substantially horizontally when the pivoting part 16 is in the closed configuration, as shown in figure 2.

The pivot arms 18 are connected at one end to the hopper 20 and at the other end to the pivoting part 16 of the chute, on either side thereof.

In use, waste material is fed into the loading chute 12, the latter either being in the open configuration, as shown in figure 1, for smaller loads or in the closed configuration, as shown in figure 2, for larger loads. The material falls into the hopper 20 and is crushed by actuating the crushing mechanism. The crushed material is collected in the collection tank 22 and conveyed from there to a deposition site by the conveyor 24.

Typically, the truck and crushing mechanism can be safely operated by a single user. Typically, the crushing mechanism incorporates a crusher rotor driven by an hydraulic motor with a rotor speed substantially in the range of 800 to 1200 revs per minute.

Suitable material which may be fed into the hopper includes stone, rubble, wood and the like. The truck is particularly suitable for on-site usage and, for example, can be used on footpaths, so that the material can be reused at the site location without having to be removed to a special site for crushing and subsequent return of the crushed material.

Typically, the truck of the invention is adapted from a six tonne forward tip dumper by removing the dumper mechanism or skip and replacing it with the crushing device 10 with suitable hydraulic motor and controls.

Thus, the invention provides a truck incorporating a crushing device which is very mobile and easy to manoeuvre, is convenient to use and is very stable in use. The truck of the invention allows building waste material and the like to be recycled by crushing it and re-using it on- site. In addition, timber can be fed through the crushing mechanism to get a rough mulch.

Typically, the truck of the invention can be driven around on roads and the like, as required, without needing a special licence.

It will be appreciated that the present invention is not intended to be restricted to the details of the above embodiment, which is described by way of example only.

Claims

Claims 1. A truck comprising a chassis mounted on wheels, a driver's seat

and steering wheel mounted at one end of the chassis and a crushing device mounted at the opposite end of the chassis, the crushing device comprising a loading chute for receiving waste material, a hopper for receiving waste material from the loading chute, the hopper comprising a crushing mechanism for crushing material received by the hopper and means for removing the crushed material from the hopper.

2. A truck according to claim 1 wherein the crushing device is mounted at the forward end of the chassis.

3. A truck according to any preceding claim wherein the crushing mechanism is operated by an hydraulic motor.

4. A truck according to any preceding claim wherein the crushing device comprises a collection tank for receiving crushed material from the hopper.

5. A truck according to claim 4 wherein the crushing device comprises a conveyor for conveying the collected material out of the collection tank.

6. A truck according to claim 5 wherein the conveyor comprises a conveyor belt mounted on spaced apart rollers and extends outwardly from the chassis.

7. A truck according to any preceding claim wherein the loading chute comprises a fixed part and a pivoting part, the pivoting part being movable between a first position in which it overlies the fixed part and a second position wherein it lies distal to the fixed part.

8. A truck according to claim 7 wherein the fixed part of the loading chute comprises a generally triangular cross-section, open topped box affixed to the hopper such that the open top of the chute extends substantially horizontally.

9. A truck according to claim 7 or claim 8 wherein the pivoting part of the loading chute comprises a generally rectangular box with an open base and a generally triangular cross-section, open topped extension extending outwardly from the front of the box such that the open top of the extension extends substantially horizontally when the pivoting part is in the first position.

10. A truck according to any of claims 7, 8 or 9 wherein the pivoting part is attached to the hopper by a pair of pivot arms, each pivot arm being connected at one end to the hopper and at the other end to a side of the pivoting part.

A truck according to any preceding claim wherein the crushing mechanism incorporates a crusher rotor with a rotor speed substantially in the range of 800 to 1200 revs per minute.

12. A truck incorporating a crushing device substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

Amendments to the claims have been fled as follows: ]. A truck comprising a chassis mounted on wheels, a driver's seat and steering wheel mounted at one end of the chassis and a crushing device mounted at the opposite end of the chassis, the crushing device comprising a loading chute for receiving waste material, a hopper for receiving waste material from the loading chute, the hopper comprising a crushing mechanism for crushing material received by the hopper and means for removing the crushed material from the hopper, wherein the crushing device is mounted at the forward end of the chassis.
2. A truck according to claim 1 wherein the crushing mechanism is operated by an hydraulic motor.
3. A truck according to any preceding claim wherein the crushing device comprises a collection tank for receiving crushed material from the hopper.
4. A truck according to claim 3 wherein the crushing device comprises a conveyor for conveying the collected material out of the collection tank.
5. A truck according to claim 4 wherein the conveyor comprises a conveyor belt mounted on spaced apart rollers and extends outwardly from the chassis.
6. A truck according to any preceding claim wherein the loading chute comprises a fixed part and a ' ' pivoting part, the pivoting part being movable between a first position in which it overlies the fixed part and a second position wherein it lies distal to the fixed part.
7. A truck according to claim 6 wherein the fixed part of the loading chute comprises a generally triangular cross-section, open topped box affixed to the hopper such that the open top of the chute extends substantially horizontally.
8. A truck according to claim 6 or claim 7 wherein the pivoting part of the loading chute comprises a generally rectangular box with an open base and a generally triangular cross-section, open topped extension extending outwardly from the front of the box such that the open top of the extension extends substantially horizontally when the pivoting part is in the first position.
9. A truck according to any of claims 6, 7 or 8 wherein the pivoting part is attached to the hopper by a pair of pivot arms, each pivot arm being connected at one end to the hopper and at the other end to a side of the pivoting part.
10. A truck according to any preceding claim wherein the crushing mechanism incorporates a crusher rotor with a rotor speed substantially in the range of 800 to 1200 revs per minute.
11. A truck incorporating a crushing device substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.